Monday, April 26, 2010

India's first blood bank for dogs in Chennai

It is the first of its kind in the country! From now on dogs needing blood transfusion will have quicker and better assistance! Thanks to the inauguration of the first blood bank for dogs in Tamil Nadu by the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), dog lovers and owners can now heave a big sigh of relief. The inauguration was a part of the week long celebrations to mark the World Veterinary Day.

Just like their human counterparts dogs too have different types of blood and even universal donor type which means it can be donated to dogs of any blood type. The blood bank for dogs in Chennai will have facilities to collect blood, do blood-typing, and store them for possible use. In fact, Hot Dog, a black Labrador became the first dog in the country to donate blood to the blood bank on Monday, April 26. Any healthy dog can donate blood so that it could be used for those dogs that might need them.

Dogs might need blood transfusion when they are injured due to road accidents or when they suffer from hypoproteinemia, or severe anemia, or spleen injury or due to deficiencies of iron. Some complicated surgeries might also warrant transfusion of blood in dogs.

TANUVAS has announced many attractive schemes for dog owners. You may have more information about this blood bank by visiting this link: http://www.tanuvas.tn.nic.in/nea/docs/Blood_bank.pdf

The phone numbers to contact the Emergency and Critical Care Unit of the Veterinary College are: 044-25381509, 044-25385701Email: tanuvasanimalbloodbank@gnlaiLconl